The Forest Maiden's Apprentice
by Forest-Maiden
Summary: Kurama and Hiei have been thrown into a different world by a gem with strange powers. To return home they have to retrive the gem and find their way back to their own world. One problem, the gem is guarded by the Forest Maiden. Full Summary Inside.
1. Chapter One

(A/n Did some editing and reposted. Please give me your honest opinion.)

**Full Summary:** Kurama and Hiei have been thrown into a different world by a gem with strange powers. To return home they have to retrive the gem and find their way back to their own world. One problem, the gem is guarded by the Forest Maiden. If they're to snatch the gem and get home they've got to befriend her apprentice. However, Kurama might find more then a gem...

-

**The Forest Maiden's Apprentice**

-

_The Forest's Pearl_

_-_

The most important of life's battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul.  
David McKay

-

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei stood at Koenma's desk waiting for their next assignment.

"What is it this time Koenma? I'm getting real tired of all these back to back missions."

"Oh, be quiet Yusuke. This is a simple mission and when you finish with it you can all have a long break."

Koenma pushed a button so the screen behind them turned on. On it a picture of a necklace with a light green odd looking gem on it. "This jewel is called The Forest's Pearl. An ancient relic, the powers on it are not all that great but its value is priceless. It is the only one in existence and I want it back."

Another picture came up on the screen; it was a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes, and way more pounds on him then is necessary.

"This is Nakarago he's held himself up in his fortress and you need to break in and get the jewel back. Don't worry; none of his thugs are even close to what you faced in the dark tournament. Now get going!"

-

_-Sachi-_

_-_

A girl of eighteen walked slowly and carefully through the darkened woods. Her hair was long and golden brown, and she had eyes of the darkest blue. She adorned a dress simple in design and made of deer hide. On her each of her wrists were silver bands, and around her forehead she wore a leather thong. In her hair behind her ear a hawk's feather, the symbol of her teacher.

She moved in silence making little to no noise on the forest floor, her eyes staring straight ahead as she moved towards a strange noise. As she approached closer a woman came into view, she stopped singing immediately and turned towards her, excited to see her.

"What is it child?"

As the woman turned to face her you could see that she had had long dark brown hair that went down to her ankles and her eyes were of the darkest green. She wore nothing except a gold headband, and several hawk feathers in her hair.

"There are hunters in the forest. Do you wish for me to-?"

Her words were cut of by the woman's abrupt interruption. "Yes Lin, do whatever you must to rid this forest of them."

She smiled at her teachers words, and left for the outskirts of the forest. Not before she called upon the aid of a few wolves to come with her. She got along best with them, and had made some very good companions in the wolf packs. When they reached the outskirts they could see the hunters were moving slowly forward through the thick underbrush.

-

_-Hunters-_

_-_

"This forest sure is overgrown. There must be a lot of game in these woods."

The younger one of the two looked nervously through the trees, "You don't think its true then?"

The older man turned sharply around to look at his young friend a goofy grin on his face. "Aw, come on. Don't tell me you believe those dumb stories about-"

The rest of what he was about to say was cut off by his traveling companion's nervous voice. "Yes I do. I believe they are very much true and I don't think we should be here. We'll upset her and she'll call on the creatures to hunt us down and kill us. Just like the others who have entered these woods."

The older man burst out laughing. "I can't believe you believe in all those 'Forest Maiden' nonsense. Everyone knows that's just to scare people away from the good hunting, lumber, and the jewel in this forest they say"

They both were interrupted when a twig snapped rather loudly and close by. Looking around nervously the two men looked about their horses gave a nervous whinny and pawed the ground impatiently. Then a piercing howl of a wolf echoed through the trees.

Wolves

And they were close. Real close.

They felt as though they were being watched. Looking around they saw shadows darting around them, they heard the sounds of snapping jaws and menacing growls and golden eyes pierced through the shadows of the darkening forest. When a snapping wolf grew especially close their horses shed in sheer terror knocking both men onto the ground. The men watched helplessly as their horses galloped out of the forest. Then they heard human laughter cold and cruel, they turned towards the distinct sounds even though they had a good idea already who it was. The shadow of a human appeared then disappeared, yet it was enough to strike a good amount of terror into their own hearts. Then the wolves began to close in on them snarling and growling. The men turned up and ran as fast as they could towards where their horses had run not even daring to look back.

When they were gone the girl stepped out from the shadows a small cold smile on her face. Approaching the leader of the wolves, a large grey male who went by the name 'Torhu' she spoke from her mind to him.

_That was our best yet._

The wolves golden eyes bore into her own and she could sense a grin in his excited voice. _Thank you Lin, I'm glad we could help. Please give our best regards to your master._

Nodding her head in response she watched as the wolves disappeared into the growing shadow of the trees. She set off at a brisk run towards the direction of her teacher's sanctuary to bring her the good news.

-

_-In the Mountains with the Yu Yu Hakusho gang-_

_-_

The guys had made it into the fortress with an unmistakable ease. Koenma was right the thugs Nakarago had hired were a piece of cake. The hard part was finding their way through the large building; it was like a maze. After searching for a while they decided it would go a lot faster if they split up into two groups. Yusuke and Kuwabara went off in one direction, while Kurama and Hiei went off in the other searching for the prized gem.

After poking around for a while Kurama and Hiei found a small circular stairway a ways off the main path. Climbing it they found themselves in a brightly lit room and in the middle of it, atop a table on a velvet pillow was the forest's pearl. Looking around for any traps they moved careful towards the gem. Seeing as nothing had happened Hiei went forward and picked up the gem.

"Humph, that was simple. What a stupid mission."

Handing the gem to Kurama they moved to leave, when a bright green light enveloped them; in only a moment they where gone.

The only sound that could be heard was the clatter of the gem falling to the floor.


	2. Chapter Two

-

**The Forest Maiden's Apprentice**

-

_Waking Up Lost_

-

On cold dark nights when no one is there… there is always the moon.

By Anonymous

-

When the two spirit detectives awoke they found themselves in the middle of a grassy field of what appeared to be wheat. They glanced at each other,

"What was that?"

"I don't know, I have about as much idea as you do Hiei."

Standing up they moved to look around. They were on a hill and from what they could see a small town lay down in a valley with farmland branching out. Past the farmland however it was impossible to see farther because trees stretched in every direction toward the north. The trees towered high, unlike any forest wither of them had ever seen before. Without having to say anything, he two of them figured they were no longer within their own world.

Pointing to the small town, in case Hiei had missed it, Kurama broke the silence. "I think we should go down there and see if we can get some answers Hiei."

Nodding his head in response Hiei walked silently ahead of Kurama as they walked down to the town. Although when they got closer they found it wasn't really a town, but a little village that you would see in medieval times. They remained silent and continued walking towards it.

When they reached it they began receiving odd looks from the villagers. It was no wonder though; they looked very out of place considering what everyone else was wearing. They were dressed in very plain clothes, much different from the brightly colored clothes Kurama wore. Hiei caught people's eye, from the sword he wore around his waist. Kurama went up to a woman who was ordering around a young boy about sweeping up.

"Excuse me miss, but I was wondering where we are?"

The woman turned around then looked at Kurama and Hiei before answering with a smile on her face.

"Oh, travelers are you. This village is called Chico, (Chi-co) and if you're looking for a place to stay this right here is the village Inn."

Pointing to the building behind her Kurama looked at it for a moment before turning his gaze back to the woman.

"I'm the innkeeper here so if you have any questions you ask me. The rooms are five kani each."

Kurama looked to Hiei then back to the woman.

"I'm sorry miss but we have no money with which to pay you."

The woman looked shocked for a moment then narrowed her eyes. "No money means no rooms. Although..."

Looking at them both she seemed to be lost in thought.

"We've been a bit short handed with our tavern lately and if you would work off you're tab there I'll let you have the rooms."

Kurama turned to Hiei.

"I think we should do it. We don't know anything about where we are and maybe in the tavern we could get some information."

Hiei looked at Kurama a moment.

"Humph I don't care let's just get out of here as soon as possible."

Kurama turned back to the woman.

"That sounds great, when do you need us to work?"

The woman smiled a toothy grin, "Great. You start right now. Follow me."

She led them into a dimly lit tavern, there were a few travelers and locals discussing rumors and legends and other things in hushed voices. She led them both into the back room before giving them instructions on what they needed to do. She also provided them with some suitable cloths to wear, said to be from her dead husband.

After a while of working, two men came into the tavern, one younger and the other an older man. They looked thoroughly shaken and asked to speak with the Innkeeper. Kurama went to fetch her right away, and she followed him back out into the tavern. It was obvious she was a little irritated at the interruption, but when she saw who it was and how they looked she rushed over.

"Oh, you boys look in a mess! What happened to you?"

Kurama, cleaning a table nearby listened in, wondering what had shaken the two so.

The younger boy spoke up first, "He said we should go to the sacred woods. I told him it was a bad idea because...she was there."

The woman's eyes widened at this bit of news. "You saw _her_?! You actually saw _her_?!"

The two men nodded before the older man continued with the story.

"One minute we were riding through no problem, but out of nowhere wolves appeared everywhere. Scared the horses half to death and they threw us off and made a break for it. Then we saw her, just for a moment we saw her shadow before she warned us to never step foot in those woods again then she let the wolves do what they wanted with us. We ran as fast as we could out of there."

The woman simply shook her head. "You're lucky you made it out of there with your lives. There are many who've sought more than deer in those woods and never came out of those trees..."

Kurama who had long since scrubbed the table clean moved closer and spoke up.

"Excuse me, but I overheard some of that and was wondering who is this girl you're talking about? And what did you mean by 'sought more in those woods'?"

The group simply stared at him for a moment dumbfounded before the younger man spoke up. "Well since you're obviously not from around here I'll tell you. There's a story around these parts that a while ago that the Maiden of the Forest, one of the triad maidens, took up residence in what is now known as the sacred forest. They say she guards over a great treasure known as the Forest Pearl. A great gem unmatched in value and power said to make men as powerful as Gods. She guards the gem well, but recently she's taken in a young girl. The girl's more animal than human, no one knows if she has a name or not, so people have started calling her the Forest Maiden's apprentice simply because she is very close to the Forest Maiden. She lives in the forest with her and all the beasts that dwell there, and is learning the ancient magic of the forest. She will kill anyone who comes in the forest trying to hunt or steal her master's treasure."

Kurama was surprised at the name of the jewel, "Forest's pearl did you say?"

The young man looked at him oddly, "Yeah that's what I said, but you'd be a complete fool to try and take it."

Kurama thought for a moment, _Wasn't that the name of the jewel we grabbed before we wound up here?_

"Thank you for informing me. That's a very interesting tale."

**Author Note**

Italics are thoughts.

Bold text I mainly use just to emphasize a point.


End file.
